


Who Said You Couldn't Choose Your Family?

by Hold_My_Headphones



Series: 1995 JATP Roommates Verse [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alex's Parents Are Homophobic (Julie and The Phantoms), But More Angst To Come, Found Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Light Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Pre-Canon, friendship fluff, hold_my_headphones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26561071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hold_My_Headphones/pseuds/Hold_My_Headphones
Summary: At first, it was just Luke in the flat.Then, Alex moved in after his parents kicked him out. It was easy having Alex as a roommate - they had a rent split, a chore plan and everything.One day, Reggie turned up with no explanation - with three duffel bags in hand and tear stains on his face. "Is it OK if I stay here for a bit?"'A bit' turned into 'forever', 'the flat' turned into 'home', and 'roommate-bandmates' turned into 'family'.****Or how, inexplicably, Alex, Reggie and Luke started living together and formed their own family. (parents are overrated anyways)Plus, they adopt a cat .******reggie's chapter is finally up and this work is now completed**
Relationships: Alex & Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex & Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Series: 1995 JATP Roommates Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1933975
Comments: 67
Kudos: 375





	1. i) Luke

**Author's Note:**

> guess who keeps beginning new JATP fics instead of concentrating on her old ones? This girl!  
> also: Set in 1995, and Bobby doesn't exist because I said so.

“I’m going to talk to my parents.”

“Just… talk to them? Randomly? Don’t you already do that?”

“About the band, like as a serious job”

Silence, for a few seconds – then Alex spoke first. “Dude, that’s awesome!”

Reggie blinked himself out of his stupor and added his input as well, “Wait seriously? I mean, _good luck!_ But like, how come?”

“My parents always had this really dead-set view of what my life would be, but it’s time they realise that I can’t fit in the mould they want me to be in, right? And with the Orpheum coming up – I just want to leave them my authentic self, have it all laid out for them to see – y’know?”

Reggie and Alex looked at each other for a moment, sitting in dumbfounded silence till Reggie coughed and said, “Wow, dude. That was deep – but yeah. Totally get you, when are you thinking of doing it?”

“Some time this month – hopefully, they’ll be happy for me.”

Luke grinned widely. Alex knew that ever since the offer for playing at The Orpheum had come up, Luke had been working up the courage to tell his parents how much music really meant to him. He held his arms wide open, reaching for a hug before being practically _leapt on_ by Reggie, and then, albeit more hesitantly, joined by Alex. They stayed like that for what was probably _minutes_ – which was a remarkably high level of bromance, _even for them_ , before-

“ _Reggie,_ that’s my _kidney.”_

_****_

When Alex got a call from Reggie at two am on a Saturday morning, asking him to hurry over to the garage immediately, he was he was prepared to perhaps to see another of Reggie and Luke’s _country versus rock songs_ playfights getting too heated, or the other two getting hit with one of Those Rocking Ideas _that just couldn’t wait_ while rehearsing.

He was _not_ expecting to see Luke curled up in a worn beanbag seat with tear tracks running down his face, heaving sobs before hiding his face in Reggie’s arms. _God. His parents must have reacted badly about his ‘music confession’. Alex had never seen Luke so upset in all the years they had known each other._

Alex sat down at the foot of the bean bag Reggie and Luke were settled in, grabbing a pillow from a nearby couch. “What happened, Luke?”

Luke wiped his tears on the back of his flannel shirt, speaking in a shaking voice. “I can’t go back to my parents, man. I’m gonna have to buy a place of my own, or something.”

Reggie and Alex both spoke at the same time; “You can always stay at mine, I’m sure we could figure something out- ”

“You can come over to my house for some time, though you should know that I sing in my sleep-”

“I couldn’t do that to you, guys. But thanks.”

“I’ll get the ice cream.” _Remedy of all things._

“Wait. Who _sings_ in their sleep, Reggie?”

“Me, I _literally just_ said that.”

They had spent the rest of the night (morning?) watching _Star Wars: Voyager_ on their crappy, broken TV which Reggie had ~~stolen~~ borrowed from his uncles thrift store until they all drifted off. (Which, in hindsight, wasn’t a great idea as they ran at full speed to school two periods late the next day, earning them a Saturday detention.)

_****_

It would be a lie, to say Luke ever recovered from leaving his parents. For the next month, it was as if there was an invisible weight pulling down on Luke’s heart. He thought he was subtle – taking walks at midnight to stare sadly at ~~his~~ his parents’ house, walking up to the door, trying to build up the nerve to knock on the door but turning around ever time. It was like watching a particularly heart-breaking movie on repeat – wanting to help, to do _something,_ anything, but only ever pretending they never noticed what was going on. He wrote songs like Unsaid Emily, poured out his heart every performance, but there was something _missing_ , his jokes seemed dull and rehearsed and being followed by screaming fangirls asking them to sign his forehead didn’t cheer him up as it used to.

Alex and Reggie had talked about it, and had figured that it would be best to just give Luke some time, he was kipping out in the garage while looking for somewhere to stay, maybe once he got an actual place of his own, he could get a metaphorical fresh start.

_****_

“Guys, I think I’ve found a flat I really like, wanna come with and check it out?”

“Sure, dude. Let’s go.”

“Reggie, you forgot to put a top on.”

“Right. I knew that.”

“No, you didn’t”

_****_

The flat was, well, Alex didn’t want to say it was _decrypt_ , but that’s exactly what it was – the walls were dirty with a substance of questionable origin, and the sofa seemed to have been dragged in from the eye a vicious hurricane. The carpet was covered in a rug of dust that left it almost impossible to tell that it had once been a smooth, creamy colour.

But, even though the flat was a complete and total wreck, it was _cheap._ Like, criminally so, and probably the only thing Luke could afford. Luke _was,_ after all – looking to rent a flat in _Hollywood_ on the wages of someone with a small-time (not for long) band and a low-paying job walking rich old ladies dogs.

“It’s awesome. It just needs a little work is all.”

“A _little?_ ”

And so began the renovation of the ~~decade~~ _century._

First, the couch had to go (“Reggie, that couch is worse than a _portable hazard lab,_ it had at least seven different types of _probably toxic fungi_ growing on it, we _absolutely cannot keep it.”)_ It was replaced from one of the sofas in the studio’s storage. Then the walls, which were covered in what Reggie had dubbed ‘wall gunk’ were cleaned, after much moaning and groaning from Alex’s side (who could blame him, the _wall gunk_ got _everywhere._ Like _everywhere._ Alex was convinced he’d still be washing it out of his hair on his death bed.)

And finally. _Finally._ After much pain, sweat and weirdly intrusive wall gunk, they were _done._

Luke’s new flat looked pretty homely, Sunset Curve posters hung up from every corner of the room (courtesy of Reggie) and Alex had given Luke most of the old mirrors, blankets and desks lying in the storage of their studio (seriously, the guys who had lived there before them had no family and died some sort abrupt death, which is why the studio was filled with their old stuff.)

Reggie jumped on Luke’s new bed with a resounding _thunk,_ (that mattress was _spent_ , Alex gave it two, maybe three weeks before it totally broke) before yelling at the top of his voice. “Group sleepover!!!”

“ _Reggie,_ I have _neighbours._ Or at least I _did,_ until you probably just scared them away with how _loud_ that was. But, yeah. I think it’s high time for a group sleepover. Alex, man, you in?

Alex smirked, “When am I not.”

_****_

_Next Chapter: “Guys, I think I’m gonna tell my parent’s that I’m gay.”_


	2. ii) Alex (+ cat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Also, Alex. Since you’re living here now, take the spare room – the sofa’s been kinda smelly after that time the neighbour’s cat peed on it and I never really cleaned it.”  
> also Alex and Luke adopt a cat at the end of the chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah so i kinda sort of meant to do reggie's chapter next but then this happened

There was never really a formal conversation about it, between Alex and Luke. It was more that one day, Luke threw some bedding at Alex’s (kinda mopey) face and went:

“Since you’re living here now, take the spare room – the sofa’s been kinda smelly after that time the neighbour’s cat peed on it and I never really cleaned it.”

Alex, who had been sitting on the aforementioned and accursed sofa at the time, rolled off it immediately, muttering insults about betrayal and _had he been sleeping in cat piss all this time?_ Alex pulled himself up off the floor and shook out his legs before shooting Luke a look of mild disgust before insulting him on his cleaning habits. It was a few minutes until Alex registered the second part of the sentence, “Wait. What do you mean, living here?”

“What do you mean, what do I mean? It’s pretty basic English man. It’s not like you’ve got anywhere else to go, and I’ve got an extra room. It works out, y’know?”

Luke made it sound so _simple,_ made it seem as if Alex being kicked out _wasn’t_ the end-all. Alex searched for words to say, pulling a phrase from the back of his throat. “I- Seriously?”

It was when Luke nodded did Alex wrap him in a tight bear hug, some parts a thanks for the offer, some parts seeking comfort after the shaky past few weeks.

****

Alex had been living with Luke for around a month.

And it had been… better than expected.

Yes, Alex probably _would_ require some intensive therapy in his future from the few too many times he had seen some mostly unclothed girl leaving Luke’s room at an ungodly hour in the morning. He would _definitely_ be charging Luke for any future therapy sessions stemming from one _incredibly traumatic moment_ in which one of Luke’s assignations of the night had asked Alex to _join them._

(No, thank you. Alex was perfectly content a minimum of _at least_ twenty feet away from _any straight person sex_. _Ever._ )

Other than that, they argued about normal roommate things (or at least, Alex thought they were normal roommate things – he had never _actually had_ a roommate before); who’s turn it was to do the dishes, who ate the last few cookies (It was Luke. Always Luke. Seriously _, where_ did that guy put the copious and seriously unhealthy number of cookies he was always eating?).

When his parents had kicked him out, it was as if the earth had stopped spinning, solar systems had been knocked out of alignment – that the very fundamentals of the universe would somehow change, down to the people walking in the street and the air that they were breathing.

In a way, Alex’s world _had_ been knocked out of it’s axis – he didn’t have his parents, he didn’t have his home. But it had realigned itself, he had the band, and with it a family. (Albeit a slightly dysfunctional one, but it was better than nothing.)

****

“ _Alex,_ I remembered to buy milk!”

“Won’t believe it ‘till I see it.” In response, Luke wafted the milk in front of Alex’s face like a flag.

“Now you can stop whining about how you don’t have any milk for your cereal. I’m practically a hero.”

Alex rolled his eyes good-naturedly, “Essentially superman, I may swoon.” He said, putting a hand on his forehead for dramatic effect.

“Why did I choose to be roommates with you?”

“Because I’m awesome and you love me?”

“Don’t remind me. I must have hit my head.”

****

They delay the talk about Alex’s parents till it’s absolutely necessary. It’s like postponing the inevitable – until Alex’s sister (Livvy, Luke vaguely remembers) turned up at the door one day. Alex’s face went through a complicated cycle of emotions at first – pain, longing, shock, happiness, before resetting his face to a blank screen.

“Livvy! You c-”

There was a sneering tone in her voice as she spoke, “Don’t, Alex. I’m not here to talk to you, you’ve made your choice. Mom and Dad say you’re not welcome home anymore. I’ve just got a box of some of your stuff to drop off.”

“Right. Ok. Thanks. I guess. Just leave it- wherever. In the corridor or something- Whatever.” Alex’s sentences were coming off short and choppy as he kept interrupting himself, Luke knew by now that that meant that Alex was trying to distance himself from the situation, keeping it as impersonal as possible.

Judging by the silent tears racing down Alex’s face once Livvy slammed the door in their faces, it wasn’t working. There wasn’t much Luke could do apart from wrap his arms around Alex soundlessly, breaking the silence with a soft “Sisters suck, anyways.”

Alex let out a weak chuckle.

It was better than nothing.

****

“Alex, Reggie wants to watch Star Wars _again!”_

“Dude, no! We watched that like the last _billion times.”_

“Which is a billion times _too many.”_

Luke ruffled Reggie’s hair consolingly, “Our flat, our rules, Reggie-Boy.”

_Our flat._

“You guys are the _worst.”_

“You love us, you angry little puppy.”

****

Alex was revelling in the peace that Saturday morning, in hindsight he should have known something would have happened to interrupt the tranquillity that had never once stayed in the flat for over ten minutes at a time.

He just didn’t expect _this._ “LUKE, why is there a cat in our flat?”

“Because… he’s cute?”

“DID YOU ADOPT A CAT WITHOUT TELLING ME?”

“Only a little bit. You can name him if you want?”

“The cat is not getting a NAME. It is going back to _wherever_ you got it from!”

“I would, you see, but the person I got the cat from is dead now, so like… no return policy?”

“You are the _worst._ ” 

They kept the cat, only because the old lady who had owned it was, _indeed¸_ dead – and Luke promised that he would feed it. (“ _Him._ Not _it,_ Alex!”)

They name him Auden – because it means old friend, and also because it sounds pretentious as hell.

Alex becomes, grudgingly so, fond of Auden – buys him toys and treats and lets Auden sit on his lap. (Not without whining about the cat hairs that seem to be a constant in their life by now.)

Luke thinks that they should dress Auden up and use him as a mascot for the band (he says it’ll attract squealing teenage girls; Alex tells him to stop being so sexist in between giggles).

****

"LUKE! Auden peed on the sofa _again!"_

"Why are cats so fond of peeing on the sofa?"

"You probably bought a cursed cat sofa or something."

"I did _not!_ Well actually, it was only five dollars, so it was probably cursed"

"I need a better roommate."

***

They’re still stumbling through life, figuring responsibility out between stepping stones and being caught in the whirlwind of excitement that’s their band.

But they’re figuring it out, together, as a family.

So it’s ok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reggie's chapter might even be up tomorrow so yup  
> comments make my day, kudos make me smile and both encourage me to write faster :)  
> thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed! :)


	3. iii) Reggie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: for panic attacks, and mentions of Reggie's parents saying some real bad things to him
> 
> ps: if i haven't responded to your comment yet, I WILL AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMMENTING SO MUCH!!! i've been a lil chaotic recently but i DO respond to a l l comments so ty!!!

Reggie’s family, was, to put it kindly, an _absolute goddam mess._

Alex remembered, in somewhat vivid detail, the first time he saw Reggie have a panic attack, when they were fourteen.

They had been seated with their backs to the floor, facing the television as the news reporter began speaking “… and in other news, JA Kalmer is announcing his divorce from his wife of twelve years due to…”

Reggie’s breathing had picked up speed, hitching slightly, it was obvious that Reggie was trying to hide the attack – a technique Alex had long become familiar with – Reggie’s breath was shuddering slightly now, and violent tremors were racking his hands, traveling up from his fingers to his shoulders and chest. A light coating of sweat was gathering on Reggie’s forehead as he fought for more air.

Alex hadn’t wasted time, immediately taking one of Reggie’s too cold hands in his and placing it over his chest, coaxing him through his breaths and pulling him back to the garage with whispered words of reassurance as Reggie’s breathing slowed to a slower pace.

“Um, Reg? You wanna… talk about that, or something?”

Reggie’s response was automatic, “No”, he let out a long breath before contradicting himself. “Yes, actually. I mean- Look, it’s not a big deal or anything. It’s just, y’know? My parents and stuff?” He paused, searching Alex’s face before he continued, “They’re arguing, a lot. Like more than usual.” Reggie’s voice cracked slightly as he began the next sentence, “It’s just that, it’s always _my fault.”_

Alex cut Reggie of hastily, “ _No,_ Reg, It’s not your fault, _never.”_

“Alex, _Mom said that._ ” Reggie scrubbed violently at a tear slipping from his eyes, “She said that it was all my fault, that- that- her life would be better if I wasn’t born.” Reggie chuckled bitterly, “ _God._ Her and Dad argued about her saying that _too._ I- shit, Alex. I hate being home and being forced into all of their arguments, I hate _myself,_ I hate being _blamed_ when I haven’t even done anything.”

When Alex spoke, it was no more than a hushed whisper, as if this conversation would be their secret, forever. “Reggie, parents can be _shit_ sometimes, say shitty things, and they’re _wrong._ Reg, you haven’t done a single thing wrong, if your parents wanna fight, _that’s on them_. No one else. Certainly not you, we’re _kids_ for gods sake, our parents disputes are _not_ our responsibilities.”

Reggie didn’t say anything in response, but leaned his head on Alex’s shoulder.

That night, they both slept over at the studio, armed with the entire DVD collection of Star Wars (“Reggie, you have a serious problem, you Star Wars _addict._ ”)

****

They were seventeen, and Reggie’s mental state was collapsing along with his parent’s marriage. They had started stocking the studio with multi-use plastic cups and plates after the first few times one of them had dropped china plates. _(Reggie had apologised over and over with heaving sobs till he had vomited up his dinner in the toilet) (he had apologised for that too)._

‘Sleepovers’ at Luke and Alex’s flat were quickly translated too ‘my parent’s won’t stop shouting and I want to be able to leave my room without getting yelled at and I actually need somewhere to sleep before I collapse and please please help me’ and Alex was seriously considering just _not letting Reggie go home_ one day.

It was a vicious and repeating cycle, Reggie went home, got upset, had panic attacks, couldn’t sleep, went to the flat, got a day of two of peace and went straight back home. Honestly, if they needed _further proof_ that Reggie needed to leave home, it was Auden. That stupid cat had gotten weirdly attached to Reggie, sitting on his lap, following him _everywhere._ Even the cat could see that Reggie was better off with them than with his parents.

****

“Luke, he’s hurting himself.”

Luke straightened up from where he was lazily strewn over the couch. “What?”

“I mean, by going back to his parents. He’s like, self-destructing, over and over again.” Alex waved his arms in a circular motion to emphasize his point.

“What do we do, to stop it, I mean? It’s not like we can just tell him to stop going _home_.”

****

Luke sighed. “Hey Reg. We think you need to stop going home.”

It had been a month or so since his and Alex’s take-Reggie-in conversation, and it had become ubiquitous to see Reggie slumped on the couch half of their mornings, having let himself in sometime over the night with his key, which Luke had pressed into his hand two weeks prior, claiming, “Why not just give you a key, dude, it’s easier and whatever, anyways”

Reggie, who was reposed casually on the floor struggling through some math equations, queried “What do you mean, not go home?”

“I _mean_ , you could just, like, live here. If you wanna.”

“I’m _fine._ ” Venom laced the last word as Reggie hissed it out.

Luke hadn’t really been expecting anything else, so he responded, “Never said you weren’t, Reg. I just think you could be fin _er_ if you stayed with us.”

“I don’t need _handouts_.” Reggie protested.

“It’s not a _handout_ , you’ll like, help with the rent and chores and shit. You can get a job, like me and Alex do, I think Bobby’s hiring. Plus, it’ll be awesome to have you live with us.” Luke explained, earnestly.

Reggie had calmed down, seeing the offer for what it was, not a handout, but an exchange. He exhaled heavily, “Can I, think about it? ‘Cos Mom and Dad still _love_ me, they just get really angry with each other, and kinda drag me into it all the time and say these terrible things to me.”

Luke wanted to say _: Your parents may love you, but if they keep saying all that shit they say to you, their love doesn’t really mean anything. After all, if your parents arguments override how much they love you, their son, does their love really matter?_

**_Your parents being nice to you sometimes doesn’t make up for all the times they were absolute shit._ **

Instead he said, “Yeah, sure. Take your time, It’s an open offer, whenever you say yes. I’m not saying you gotta completely stop talking to your parents, but you don’t have to _live_ with them either.”

****

Luke, though he was the one who had offered Reggie residence at the flat, wasn’t completely expecting Reggie to take him up on the offer so soon.

It was only a week later when Reggie turned up at their door, which in itself, was a familiar sight.

It was the duffel bag strapped over his shoulder that was out of the ordinary.

And when Luke said ‘out of the ordinary’, he meant _their_ ‘ordinary’, which was probably miles away from the universally accepted norm of ‘ordinary’.

Reggie spoke first, sniffling slightly form the rapidly dropping temperatures outside, “I don’t know if this is permanent or temporary, Luke. But can I stay here for a week or two and then decide what to do next?”

“Y-yeah. Sure, come in, man. You’re gonna _freeze.”_

****

Reggie was, perhaps surprisingly, pretty easy to live with. He did his chores and never played too-loud music _(Luke suspected it was because every time he played his music full volume at home, his parents would get mad at him. But they never really talked about that.)_

It was a unanimous decision that Reggie would live with them, in the end. It was like the last piece of the jigsaw sliding bumpily into place. Not perfect, but close.

Unlike Luke and Alex, Reggie did talk to his parents. He had told them he was leaving the house, and, of course, they had protested, but in the end they had dissolved into a fight about who’s fault it was _(nothing new),_ and let Reggie do what he wanted to.

Reggie would never be as close as he perhaps should have been to his parents, but after leaving their house _(not his house, their house),_ he could at least be cordial with them, and check up on them time to time. He knew that his parents had never had a problem with him, but with each other. But that didn’t change, nor erase, the countless nights slept with Luke and Alex, the constant panic attacks, the self-hatred.

**_They may not have ever hated him, but they hurt him all the same._ **

****

“ _Reggie,_ did you leave the sugar bag open again? Auden’s covered in sugar!”

“-Oh my god is sugar fatal to cats? Have I killed out cat?”

“He looks fine, just a little tired?”

“Oh my god I think he’s dying!”

“What? No! he’s just sleeping, chill.”

“Are you sure, he looks a little dead to me.”

“He always looks dead.”

“Same.”

“What?”

****

“Hey Reg, where are you going?”

“A date, with a girl named Robin”

“Hey, Luke has a date too, I swear his date was called Robin too? Eh. Whatever, have fun dating girls. Can’t relate.” Alex snorted at his own joke.

****

“I can’t believe she scheduled you guy’s dates the _same time._ ”

Reggie groaned, “How did we not realise we were going out on a date with _the same girl_.”

Luke dropped his head into his hands, “We’re both idiots.”

****

“Alex, your Mom sent a letter!” Reggie called, thanking the mailman.

“Burn it.”

“Seriously? What if it has money it it?”

“True. OK. Check it for money, then burn it.” Alex conceded, nodding decisively.

“It doesn’t have money in it.” Reggie pouted slightly.

“You know where the fire is.”

****

“EXAMS ARE OVER! MOVIE NIGHT!”

It was around one am as they were curled up on the couch, strewn all over each other when Reggie thought; _Who said you couldn’t choose your family? ‘Cos they were wrong._

****

“Remember when we said we’d all be together ‘till we died?”

“Yup.”

“Yeah?”

“Well we’re dead, and we’re still together.”

“Damn right we are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember to follow the series for more, 'cos i'll probably post like snippets of their lives and stuff in another work and add it to the series, if people wanna read something like that?
> 
> thank you for sticking around, and THANK YOU for your kudos!! like 200+ kudos?! thats really nice guys!!! ty!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me if you hate it, if you love it, if you wanna see more of it in the comments. Kudos are awesome and make me smile!


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